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Now, file sexual harassment plaints online

Last Updated 24 July 2017, 19:23 IST
Women employees of the central government can now lodge complaints of sexual harassment at workplace online.

Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday launched a web portal, ‘SHe-Box’ for this, saying its scope will soon be widened to enable women employees in private sector as well.

“To begin with, central government women employees can file complaints (at the portal). But, we are going to widen the ambit to include the private sector as well. We just need to make a few changes in our online interface. Once it is done, employees from private companies will also be able to lodge complaints,” she said.

The ministry will also soon set into motion a nationwide survey to assess and understand the extent and magnitude of the sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

“There are some surveys, which give the extent of sexual harassment of women at the workplace. However, the WCD ministry will carry out a national-level survey to assess and understand the magnitude of the problem,” Maneka said, after launching the portal.

‘SHe-Box’, which stands for sexual harassment electronic box, is hosted on the website of the WCD ministry.

The ministry decided to host an online complaint registration portal for women employees to ensure “effective implementation” of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

The complaints to be lodged at ‘SHe-Box’ will immediately be forwarded to the internal complaints committee (ICC) of the respective departments of the central government for action as prescribed under the act. The complainant can track the status of her complaint on the portal.

Maneka instructed her officials to make the portal as “interactive” as possible. “The portal should offer a list of follow-up details so that the employee gets to know the exact status of the complaint,” she told the officials.

A ministry official said the idea behind hosting ‘SHe-Box’ is to ensure a speedy disposal of complaints of sexual harassment by the ICC of the respective departments.

"If the ICC is working, then we are out of the picture totally,” Maneka said, indicating that the WCD ministry will also closely monitor the progress made on the disposal of complaints.
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(Published 24 July 2017, 09:17 IST)

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